Review of Kidz Bop Dance Party for the Wii

5:38 PM

I used to think that if my family only had a Wii gaming system, I would spend so many more hours a week playing with them. We would play all the time, right? After owning one for a year, however, there have been times that the thing has either sat collecting dust, or the kids played some annoying game for hours that just didn't hold my interest. Last week, however, we received a copy of Kidz Bop Dance Party to review. This game was a game-changer!

First, even if you don't particularly like Kidz Bop CD's (I find them to be a bit difficult to tolerate, at times), this game seems to have picked the best songs to include in the dance-related action. In addition to tunes like "Evacuate the Dance Floor" and "Party in the USA", there are older tunes like "Hey Ya" and some silly songs like "Ice Cream and Guacamole." To make things fun for me, they've added "Thriller" with dance moves that mimic Michael Jackson's original video!

To play, you only need to move the Wii wand in the motion indicated on the screen. The moves get more complicated the more difficult the song, and it's definitely more fun (and more calorie-burning) to move your entire body while playing. For families with kids of all ages, you can play in non-competitive modes or even as a team of 2. If the kids want to go head-to-head, you can do that also. While we skipped much of the "dress up" function of the game to speed things up (my kids could literally spend DAYS picking out accessories for their Wii people), you can find silly outfits and even customize your stage for a truly personal dance experience.

My kids have played this game nonstop since we got it. Our 12 year old plays with the 3 year old, and I love to challenge the winner. Here is a video of my preschooler trying it out on day one (notice that it's dark and there are balloons.. we were trying out a "club" atmosphere.) Please excuse his underwear-only attire....

As you can see, it's easy for any skill level to play. This fun game is available at Amazon and other retailers for around $40.